Stream on Demand: Samuel L. Jackson stars in ‘The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey’
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
Samuel Jackson stars as a man suffering from dementia who is offered a radical experimental treatment, and Dominique Fishback is the orphan teenager who becomes his caregiver in “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” (TV-MA), a limited series based on the novel by Walter Mosley. Two episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Apple TV+)
In “Turning Red” (2022, PG), Pixar’s latest animated fantasy, dorky-and-proud adolescent girl Meilin “Mei Mei” Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang) wakes up one morning to discover that she has transformed into a giant, fluffy red panda. It happens every time she gets emotionally overwhelmed, which is often. It’s an imaginative metaphor for puberty and a loving tale of family, friendship and Chinese-Canadian culture. Debuts directly on Disney+.
Ryan Reynolds is a time-traveling fighter pilot who crash lands in 2022 and teams up with his 12-year-old self to save the future in “The Adam Project” (2022, PG-13). Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana and Catherine Keener also star in the science-fiction adventure directed by Shawn Levy, who Reynolds recently worked with on the hit “Free Guy.” (Netflix)
The limited-series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” (TV-MA) is a comic look at the legendary 1980s Los Angeles Lakers under the ownership of Jerry Buss (played by John C. Reilly) and the star power of their newest player, Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah). New episodes on Sundays. (HBO Max)
“The Thing About Pam” (not rated) revisits the true story of the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria and the strange conspiracy behind it all. Renée Zellweger, Judy Greer and Josh Duhamel star in the limited-series crime drama. New episodes on Wednesdays. (Hulu and Peacock)
Pay-Per-View / Video on
Demand
“Red Rocket” (2021, R) won a Film Independent Spirit Award for Simon Rex’s performance as a washed-up porn star who returns to his rural Texas hometown.
“Scream” (2022, R) revives the self-aware horror franchise with a mix of new characters and familiar faces.
Netflix
Jon Hamm is a disillusioned diplomat pulled back into service to save the life of a friend in “Beirut” (2018, R), a thriller set in the violence of the undeclared warzone of 1982 Beirut.
Streaming TV: the final seasons of “The Last Kingdom” (TV-MA) and “Good Girls” (TV-MA) are now streaming.
Hulu
A college girl comes home to her Indian-American family in New Jersey for a revealing reunion in the comedy “India Sweets and Spices” (2021, PG-13).
“Impeachment: American Crime Story” (2021, TV-MA) makes its streaming debut along with “Pose: Complete Series” (2018-2021, TV-MA).
HBO Max
“Dune” (2021, PG-13) (HBO), the epic science-fiction spectacle of royal intrigue, betrayal, rebellion and giant sand worms on a desert planet directed by Denis Villeneuve, is nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
Other streams
“That Dirty Black Bag” (not rated) with Dominic Cooper and Douglas Booth is a limited-series frontier thriller that pays tribute to classic spaghetti westerns. New episodes on Thursdays. (AMC+)
“The Chelsea Detective” (not rated) stars Adrian Scarborough and Sonita Henry as detectives solving murders in London’s Chelsea neighborhood. New episodes on Mondays. (Acorn TV)
New on disc and at Redbox
“Matrix Resurrections,” “A Journal for Jordan,” “Coming 2 America,” “Redeeming Love”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and television can be found at streamondemandathome.com.